Turn Cabbage And Pork Into A Comforting Japanese-Style Soup With Just A Few Ingredients

Have you ever heard of mille-feuille nabe? This Japanese hot pot variation requires just a few ingredients but brings lots of flavor and texture to the table. The dish consists of alternating layers of napa cabbage and pork belly, packed tightly in a pot with salty, savory dashi broth poured over it. The meat and cabbage cook in the broth, producing a flavorful hot pot that's appealing to the eye and hard to beat, flavor-wise. The dish is simple despite its complicated appearance and has a comforting warmth that's great for a dinner party or celebration.

The name mille-feuille has French origin, meaning a thousand leaves or layers — it also refers to a specific type of flaky pastry. In this case, the cabbage leaves fulfill this role. For this dish, you'll want to use napa cabbage. The difference between napa and regular cabbage is that the former is milder and sweeter, and the thin leaves soften beautifully in the broth, producing a comforting, silky bite. Slice the napa cabbage into quarters, lengthwise and prep it properly by cleaning it first, but be sure to keep the core intact. This will make the layering process easier.

The trick is to take each quarter of your cabbage and peel back the layers carefully, inserting a thin slice of pork belly in between each leaf. Keep layering until each cabbage quarter has pork belly woven through the leaves. Thin slices of beef instead of pork are okay, but pork belly specifically provides the slightly sweet, rich flavor that works so well with the cabbage without overpowering it or the broth. You can then chop off the core of the cabbage holding everything together, and cut the quarters into roughly 2-inch size pieces, keeping the layers intact. 

Assembling mille-feuille nabe in a pot requires a bit of care, but the beautiful spiral appearance at the end is well worth it. It's crucial to pack your layers in tightly so they don't come apart when you add your broth. To do this, you'll want to put each chunk of cabbage and pork in the pot sideways so the layers show at the top. Start on the outside and work your way in, squishing the pieces together as tightly as you can. You can also hold the layers together with one hand while you add another so they all compress together. Once you're finished and the pot is full, you'll have a beautiful spiral of meat and veg.

The boiling broth for hot pot is typically simmered at the center of the table, but you can always make it on the stove, too. For the broth, use dashi, commonly known as Japanese soup stock. You can find powdered versions online which can be added to water. But don't stop there: add things like sake, soy sauce, and salt to boost its flavor further. It may seem like a red flag to use both salt and soy sauce, but the water in the cabbage will dilute the broth so it won't get too salty. Pour it over your spiral of goodness, let cook for a bit, and serve.

The buttery cabbage and tender pork belly combined with the salty broth is delicious and comforting. This soup is a showstopper in flavor, texture, and appearance. You can always serve it on its own, but mille-feuille nabe is great with a citrusy Japanese ponzu dipping sauce too.